Paktia Province

33°36′N 69°30′E / 33.6°N 69.5°E / 33.6; 69.5

Paktia پکتیا
Province
Aerial view of a fort in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province
Map of Afghanistan with Paktia highlighted
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Gardez
Government
• Governor	Muhammad Ali Jan Ahmad[1]
• Deputy Governor	Sheikh Aziz-ur-Rehman Mansoor[2]
Area
• Total	5,583 km2 (2,156 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[3]
• Total	622,831
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Time)
Postal code	22xx
ISO 3166 code	AF-PIA
Main languages	Pashto and Dari

Paktia (Pashto پکتيا – Paktyā) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the east of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktia Province is divided into 15 districts and has a population of roughly 623,000,^[3] which is mostly a tribal society living in rural areas. Pashtuns make up the majority of the population and a small percentage include Tajiks.^[4] Gardez is the provincial capital. The traditional food in Paktia is known as (dandakai) which is made from rice and mung bean or green gram.

It's also significant for being the area where Operation Magistral by The Soviet Union took place. Late Nov, of 1987, to Jan, of 1988 is then it took place, when Soviet Forces retreated.^[5]

In 2021, the Taliban gained control of the province during the 2021 Taliban offensive.